Let’s be honest, public relations is an industry that gets a lot of (pardon the pun) flack for shilling half-truths and over-promising but under-delivering. That’s PR at its worst. At its best, PR creates a channel for clear communication between a business and its key audiences that directly impacts sales or the bottom line – whether responding in times of crisis, announcing a new product, promoting an association and more.
A client should expect an agency to act proactively, in an organized and structured manner, setting goals and reporting metrics to prove results. So, what should you look for when you’re seeking an agency partner?
Pay attention to the manner in which an agency keeps itself on track. An organized agency is one that can provide you impeccable service. While good account management is important, it’s not prevalent at all public relations agencies. Determine how the agency keeps its initiatives on track and how it communicates internally as well as with clients. For example, Cookerly has an agency-wide to-do list, which not only keeps us accountable but keeps everyone apprised of our work should another person need to pitch in. At the end of the month, clients are apprised of KPI’s such as impressions, engagement, sentiment and value of opportunities, among other objective-supporting tasks performed, in an account summary.
Organization is important, but an agency partner should also be driven. Your PR agency should address issues before they become crises, secure relevant media opportunities, prepare spokespeople ahead of time and inventively weave current events or holidays into your creative tactics. They should provide a broad approach to maximize visibility and increase your bottom line. An agency team should always be in communication with the client, supporting business goals and initiatives; you shouldn’t have to whip out the latest GPS technology to locate them and secure results.
At the end of the day, you want to know that your PR efforts are producing ROI. Creative tactics, digital and social marketing and media outreach are only beneficial if they support your overall business objectives, raising awareness for a product or service, shaping public opinion or promoting thought-leadership. You should expect reporting from your agency that shows media placements, internal communications executed, marketing initiatives launched and more. Public relations and marketing can provide an excellent return on investment, and you should expect to see how that investment is spent.
As design director at Cookerly, Tim serves as the creative lead in the development of branding campaigns, print collateral and digital media for clients across a broad range of industries, including consumer, professional services, healthcare and technology.
As a senior vice president at Cookerly, Mike Rieman is a strategic communications leader specializing in media relations and reputation management. With a proven track record of securing high-profile placements in top-tier outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN and USA Today, he excels at crafting compelling narratives that resonate across print, broadcast and digital platforms.
Mike Touhill is vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, where he helps lead traditional, social and digital media programs for B2B and B2C clients in packaging, telecommunications and technology, among other industries. As a communication leader, he develops and executes public relations strategy, provides proactive and reactive counsel to C-level executives and secures earned media coverage for client initiatives and product.
Andrew Agan is a vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, overseeing the agency’s internship program and leading media relations, content strategy and social media initiatives. He provides counsel and executes campaigns for clients across various sectors, including finance, healthcare, hospitality, technology, automotive and many others. Andrew excels at crafting compelling stories and building media relationships, resulting in clients being featured in notable outlets such as CNBC, Associated Press, Business Insider, Fox Business, HBO, Inc. Magazine, Sirius XM, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, among others.
As vice president of Cookerly, Sheryl Sellaway uses her extensive corporate communications background to lead consumer PR efforts, deliver strategy for marketing programs and share expertise about community initiatives.